The Luna-25 mission also finds itself in a race with India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, which recently entered the Moon’s orbit and is scheduled to reach the lunar south pole in the coming days. The parallel pursuits highlight the renewed interest in lunar exploration among nations, as they vie to unlock the Moon’s untapped potential and expand humanity’s horizons beyond Earth.
Once Luna-25 reaches the Moon, it is slated to conduct experiments utilizing its 68 pounds of research equipment. Over the course of approximately one year, the spacecraft will carry out investigations aimed at enhancing our understanding of the lunar environment. Notably, Luna-25 features a specially designed scoop capable of capturing samples from up to 15 cm (six inches) beneath the lunar surface, a crucial tool for the mission’s quest to discover frozen water.
